Barcelona youngster Ansu Fati miles ahead of Lionel Messi at 17, stats reveal

Barcelona youngster Ansu Fati has been a surprise revelation for the Camp Nou outfit following his rise under Ernesto Valverde the previous season. The youngster has quickly gone on to cement his spot in the first team and is likely to play a pivotal role for the Catalan giants alongside Lionel Messi under new boss Ronald Koeman. A mesmerising stat now reveals that the 17-year-old Fati has a better goals-per-minute (GPM) ratio than Messi when he was 17.

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Ansu Fati outscores Lionel Messi 

Ansu Fati has already managed 36 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions. During this time, he has netted 11 goals, along with an assist to his credit. Ansu Fati's stats are commendable, knowing the fact that he has played just three complete games.

On the other hand, Messi could manage only nine appearances when he was 17 while also bagging just one goal. He could not even open his assist tally until then. At this stage, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner had played just one complete game in all. Moreover, Ansu Fati averages a goal every 143.6 minutes. Interestingly, Messi scored one goal in every 233rd minute on an average back in 2004. 

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Ansu Fati crowned LaLiga player of the month 

Considering his run of form, Barcelona strengthened their ties with Ansu Fati last month, extending his contract until 2024. His performances earned him a national team call up this international break, becoming the second-youngest player to play for Spain after coming on as a substitute against Germany. 

The 17-year-old scored thrice in September for Barcelona. His efforts were duly recognised and he was crowned the LaLiga Player of the Month. The departure of Luis Suarez to Atletico Madrid and the failure to sign Lyon striker Memphis Depay has proved beneficial for Ansu Fati, who could now partner alongside Messi at a young age. 

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Ansu Fati is youngest to play for Barcelona 

Interestingly, Ansu Fati is the youngest to play for Barcelona, achieving the feat at the age of 16 years and 298 days. He is also the first player born in 2002 to feature in a LaLiga game. Meanwhile, Barcelona will come up against Getafe on Saturday in the first game after a two-week-long international break with Ansu Fati likely to start for Koeman. 

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Image courtesy: Barcelona Instagram